Senior leadership -2024

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

Hi all
hoping to aim for a senior leadership role in 2024 in public sector after completing a masters and CMI qualification. So wanted to have some inspiration of really good leadership books, websites and tips.
also for those people in those roles - how do you organise your workload, keep track and prioritise your tasks?

The biggest difference between middle and senior management is your view and level of detail.

You'll hear terms like 'Strategic thinking' and while some of it is corporate wank speech, it's true.

You need to step back from detail, be good at delegating and look outside you're specific team to understand what the entirety of the business needs, how you can work better with other teams, how you can align to same systems and processes to bring about efficiency, reduce cost, drive growth.

Protect your time, book out chunks in your diary to get any admin done, keep close to your direct reports but allow them to drive the day to day performance and encourage them to give you snapshots/highlight what's going well and what needs your focus.

If you try to continue to be in the details while also driving the strategic goals then you will be consumed and you will do neither thing well.

What area of public sector are you hoping to work in? Do you work in the public sector already?

What @CyberCritical says is absolutely spot on.

Think carefully about the difference between leadership and management.

Thanks all.
@Poblano yes I work in public sector now. local Government 21 years in!

I'd also add... the most useful learning I have ever had in leadership or management has been to do the opposite of 80% of what the people who managed me have done. And I mean that seriously. It has stood me in good stead for decades. That includes even my current manager, who is fantastic and I think he's wonderful - but nobody pays me (or him) enough to work seven days a week and most evenings; to take on every "ask" from from even more senior management without any resources to deliver it; or to fail to take half his annual leave because he too busy.

And I had not realised that fat fingered predictive texting renders "senior management" as "senior madmen". I am still not sure I should have corrected it.

I'm sure it's true elsewhere too, but the public sector will eat you alive if you let it, and spit you out when it's convenient. Don't ever get to the point, no matter how much you care about public service, that you forget it is a job.

@RosieLeaLovesTea thanks for reply, I only asked because public sector can be very different to the outside world (as you will be aware with your experience).

I'd say a few things:

• try to get close to the overall priorities and strategy of your leadership team and governing group on the council - so that you can predict the decisions they will need to make, the questions they will want answered and the approach they are likely to favour
• build excellent upwards and sideways relationships
• be good to work with and for
• set clear and consistent targets for those you manage
• be prepared to take on the most difficult issues and be a problem solver for those you manage
• operate on a no surprises basis with your bosses - keep them informed of the difficult and political issues that could blow up
• prioritise ruthlessly.